OLD TOWN, Maine — If all goes according to plan, access to newly legalized fireworks should be just a short trip away for Bangor-area residents, according to the vice president of a company that hopes to set up shop on Stillwater Avenue.
Short Fuse Fireworks LLC Vice President William Sewall of Veazie said Friday that he should be ready to start selling fireworks sometime in April or May after completing renovations to the building and wrapping up the permitting and inspection process.
The site at 983 Stillwater Ave., which formerly was home to Pizza Dome, is well suited for a fireworks business because it meets most of the major regulations and requirements, according to Old Town Code Enforcement Officer David Russell.
For example, in order for a business to sell fireworks, the retail and storage space needs to be a certain distance away from surrounding structures and can’t have a basement or second floor. The former Pizza Dome site meets those requirements.
Russell said Sewall, who is the company’s vice president, and Douglas Hummel, the president, had completed about 95 percent of the permitting requirements.
The first fireworks store in the state, Pyro City Fireworks, opened in Manchester two months after fireworks became legal in Maine. The owner of that store, Steve Marson, said he also plans to open shops in Edgecomb, Winslow and Aroostook County.
The 2,700-square-foot building needed a few upgrades, including an expanded sprinkler system and an additional exit, according to Russell.
After that, Sewall and Hummel will seek state approval. Russell said he didn’t expect any issues because the owners and engineering firm have been working closely with the state fire marshal’s office.
Sewall said customers will have a wide variety of pyrotechnics to choose from, but “we can’t have any rockets, bottle rockets or missiles.”
State law doesn’t allow for the sale of fireworks that are launched from a stick or that have fins because there’s a risk they might tip over and launch along the ground.
“We have to hand out safety pamphlets with every purchase,” Sewall said. “We just want people to use them safely and responsibility.”
At least 24 cities and towns in Maine have prohibited or placed restrictions on the sale and-or use of fireworks, including Bangor, Brunswick, Ellsworth, Orono, Portland, South Portland, Rockland and Holden.
Short Fuse Fireworks’ owners initially wanted to find a site in Bangor or Brewer, but the Bangor City Council banned the sale and use of fireworks and Sewall said he couldn’t find a suitable building in Brewer.
He said he’s thrilled with the site they found on “one of the highest-traffic areas in the greater Bangor area.”
Sewall said he’s not closely related to the Sewalls behind James W. Sewall Co. in Old Town and that his family has roots in northern Maine.
Short Fuse Fireworks LLC is not affiliated with Short Fuse Fireworks Inc., a business based in New Brunswick, Canada, owned by Cornelius Tym.
Sewall said Friday that he wasn’t aware that his company shared its name with another, but that he planned on meeting with his lawyer to be sure the Short Fuse name wouldn’t lead to any legal conflict.
BDN reporter Alex Barber contributed to this report.
Awesome news.
Just visited the place in Manchester last week – bummer though that bottle rockets are not part of the fun.
Wow I am surprised just a few weeks ago you were saying that how bad fireworks was to folks like myself that they should still be banned. Those who have been using them for many many years including myself and grew up with them from other family members using them. That we would be blowing our fingers off etc.. I knew we would “convert” the Anti-Fireworks crowd much sooner than later, just as we will do with Casinos too. I agree its foolish that bottle rockets, missles etc. are still banned. They are the best fireworks to use, but don’t mind the others they are just as good.
Oh – don’t get me wrong. I think there are plenty of kids out there who are going to get hurt, and a fair number of drunks are going to injure themselves and burn the woods down. I’m not converted.
I cannot wait for them to open. Even if I have to drive out to the sticks to set them off, I’m fine with that. At least I will be able to have some real fun.
Lol spend all that money for 5 minutes of noise and lights, it is pretty satisfying though.
Wow, its been weeks since the fireworks store opened in Manchester and where are the lines outside the emergency rooms with fingers and hands blown off. Who would have thought Mainers are intelligent enough to use them correctly . Come on state govt. let us have bottle rockets, we’ll be good , HONEST .
Be patient my friend. We had a minor accident in my brother in laws neighborhood today when a neighborhood had a firecracker go off in his hand. The drunk neighborhood was laughing away how it hurt. He refused to go to doctors, so there is no hard copy proof.
Soon my friend, Soon. Soon I will posting a laundry list of fireworks accidents from around the State.
firecrackers aren’t legal though, where would one acquire that?
How are you going to post list of people in Maine getting hurt from fireworks . If you said you are in the process of leaving Maine . Because you don’t like noise issues here in Maine and in Skowhegan. It seems to me you just like complaining because Maine is starting to peel off the Welfare and Nanny State. You find nothing good to talk about its always the negatives just like you complain about Casinos too. If you don’t like the noise you shouldn’t live in a big town like Skowhegan , I live in the Madison-Skowhegan area and the noise isn’t an issue for me. People are going to continue to use fireworks doesn’t matter if they are legal or not. We are just wasting money by putting in these useless “bans”. Which most of the towns in Maine have refused to do why because for one it does not make sense to enforce , and they know fireworks is a huge revenue and jobs producer in these towns. Just like having more Casinos in Maine would do the same.
Drunks in Skowtown playing with fireworks? Really? Say it isn’t so.
Sadly, i cant think of a retort.
You mean that parents may actually have to assume a little responsibility and supervise their brats?
Just up the street from U Maine.
what a waste of money
That is up for debate, it’s all in one’s perspective. The same can be said of many things, like gambling for example, just because you don’t enjoy it doesn’t mean that others do not. I buy a lot of fishing gear most of it I use but some of it admittedly sits unused, and I’ve been told by people that don’t fish that it’s a waste, but it is something I like to do.
I must confess that I am enjoying the chipping away of the Nanny State in the state of Maine. The people are allowed to have fireworks–imagine that! I shall celebrate by buying some legally in the state of Maine instead of traveling to NH to spend 2k on fireworks for the Fourth. Now I can keep the money local!
Anyone know if mortars are going to be legal? I’m planning a trip back to Maine around the 4th, be the first time in my life I’ll be able to set fireworks off in my home state and city of Brewer, (Really Bangor? You ban them but Brewer has them, like to see you arrest and fine most of the city of Bangor for using them). Where I live in Texas, fireworks are legal. They only sell them around the fourth and new years. The majority of the sales go to local high schools, such as for bands and other clubs, as high schoolers work the sales floor, imagine that!
No rockets??? So what was the point of fireworks being legal in Maine in the first place?
Why no bottle rockets? Do they think we are going to try to shoot down KC-135’s coming in for a landing at BIA? REDNECK STINGER MISSILES.
I can wait to read about 2 rednecks playing a game of ‘dare who gives up first’ with lit fire cracks in their mouth.
It’s gonna be a great 4th of July this year! Be safe and USE AT OWN RISK!